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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23343922">strand by strand</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/VegetaLGBT/pseuds/VegetaLGBT'>VegetaLGBT</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Light-Hearted, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Secret Identity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:42:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,061</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23343922</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/VegetaLGBT/pseuds/VegetaLGBT</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Usopp can't really help but wonder if this was the reason he got this gift. Surely it wouldn't be for something as mundane as getting a boyfriend, but it sure felt like it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Roronoa Zoro/Usopp</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>80</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>strand by strand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s the second week of the semester.</p><p>The air is light, almost heavy with the blooming of floral wares but not quite there yet. Hums and chirps of the cicada are the only things that break the silence of the night besides the scritching of a pencil.</p><p>Usopp absentmindedly flicks another fruit fly off of his sketchbook from where these insects keep deciding to perch as he tries to draw the various plant life in the greenhouse for an extra credit assignment.</p><p>He didn’t want to be doing this. He didn’t have to do it. In fact, he wasn’t even planning on doing it, till one of his roommates, Franky, told him that Zoro was coming over tonight.</p><p>He should be in his dorm. He should be in his dorm thinking about how he’s going to confess or getting over his feelings for Zoro. For this reason precisely his dorm should be a Zoro free zone. </p><p>After all, how was he supposed to think about such things with the object of his thought mere feet away from him. </p><p>He wished it was as easy for him to just talk to Zoro as it was for that spider to crawl up his arm.</p><p>..</p><p>Huh?</p><p>Glancing down, his eyes bugged out at the huge spider making its way up his body. </p><p>Book and pencil fall from his hand in shock and he hurriedly got up and approached the opening of the greenhouse. </p><p>Seeing insects in here wasn’t too much of an uncommon occurrence. There were flowers quite literally everywhere. Seeing spiders, and especially one this big however, were a bit more rare. </p><p>Usopp generally considered himself a fan of bugs. They were cool looking, fun to draw and in general had docile temperaments. The size of the arachnid perched on him, however, was very distressing.</p><p>His mind was screaming at him that he was not safe, and generally Usopp trusted his instincts, but it was just a spider. Quite a docile one too. It had barely moved since he started making his way to the entrance. </p><p>“Alright,” Usopp says as he kneels but the ground in front. Streetlights illuminate the night as a few students bustle their way around campus, more than likely finding their way back home after a long work day. He carely extends his arm to the floor. “There you go, little guy.” </p><p>The spider crawls, carefully, down Usopp’s arm. Just as it hits his palm, it stops. Usopp gets an odd feeling the spider was sizing him up somehow, but that was ridiculous. </p><p>Confused, Usopp makes to shoo it, when it raises his front half and suddenly latches back down onto his hand, hard. </p><p>Or, presumably hard anyway. It stings a bit but that’s just about it.</p><p>Usopp swats it away and goes back inside to gather his stuff. Zoro should be gone by now and he’s gotten enough for tonight anyway. Didn’t need to do it regardless, but he wants to keep his grades up.</p><p>He’d prefer if his love life was the only thing on his plate that he had to deal with. </p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Usopp really and truly hoped nobody would mention anything. </p><p>“My, my Usopp, it seems your trips to the gym with Zoro are paying off” Brook comments offhandedly, because nothing ever truly goes his way in life. </p><p>Brook, who...well Usopp isn’t actually quite sure what Brooks major is. Only really knowing that he has a self proclaimed jazz band with a few roommates of his and that they have one song that sure as hell isn’t jazz but makes him joyful and weepy in the same breadth.</p><p>He sees Zoro giving him an appraising look from where he can see his arms out of the T-shirt he donned today. Usopp decides it might be better not to examine that too much.</p><p>This morning was a serious cause for concern.</p><p>He had slept through his 8 am, which he wasn’t too hung up over because morning classes sucked, but he was fairly punctual, so it was a cause for concern. It wasn’t like him and from there he could already tell his day was gonna be a little abnormal.</p><p>‘A little abnormal’ probably wasn’t the right phrase to use. But then again what can you really say when you wake up one day, and suddenly have extra muscle mass that most certainly was not there before. </p><p>He hadn’t had much time to ponder it because he hurriedly had to get to his next class. Usopp was ready to get dressed and bolt only to have his plans halted by the fact that a lot of his shirts were suddenly too damn tight. </p><p>Baffled as he was, he just ended up throwing on a t-shirt, which wasn’t as restricting, and rushing off to class without thinking too much of it. It was getting hotter and maybe that was why he felt like his shirts were tighter. The air conditioning unit had probably broken in their dorm hall again. </p><p>This was not the case.</p><p>He had gotten a few odd stars around campus and Usopp figured it was because he wasn’t usually seen in a T-shirt. </p><p>And maybe for some people it genuinely was that. However, it was much more likely it was people noticing his new bulk. </p><p>Usopp turned to Brook with a wry smile. “You think so?” He tried to give no indication he wasn’t a bit freaked out about suddenly bulking up overnight.</p><p>Judging from Zoro’s hard stare, it wasn’t working quite as well as he would hope. </p><p>Luffy pops up from his left in the booth of the campus cafe they are in to chime in. “Yea yea! It kinda feels like it just popped up overnight!” </p><p>And dammit one day Luffy’s insane perceptiveness really will kill him. </p><p>(Although, considering Luffy was working towards a degree in fire science and having some kind of basic EMT training, he'd likely save his life first.)</p><p>Usopp feels himself tense for a quick second before Luffy goes on trying to think of how many crunches he did in one night to get to where he is.</p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p>He just about jumps out of his skin when Zoro not only speaks up, but puts an arm on Usopp’s shoulder. Looking over at the greenhead, he finds the other man's expression pensive. The smallest hint of worry barely visible in the way his brows are drawn in. Usopp tries not to look into his eyes. He’s not entirely sure what he’s avoiding, what he would be looking for in the first place. But better to not find out. </p><p>Deep inside he knows he’s mainly afraid of looking and seeing Zoro continue to look at him the same he does everyone else. He’s very grateful the man is his friend, but his emotional state on that day is already in shambles, he doesn’t really need the extra sting. </p><p>Usopp gives Zoro a smile and looks back down at his work on the table. “I’m fine.”</p><p>Looks like Usopp has more on his plate to deal with than he thought.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>It starts off a little something like this. </p><p>Usopp has actually known Zoro since high school. </p><p>People didn’t talk much to either of them there. Their school was one straight out of a tv show, different cliques and groups claiming their own lunch tables and always working together during class. Usopp and Zoro, weren’t a part of any of these cliques.</p><p>Zoro was good-looking, had a three piercings in his left ear, smudged black eyeliner around his eyes- and on anyone else, Usopp would admit it look trashy, but something about the way Zoro did it gave him a cool, dangerous air- and was athletic as hell if his body was anything to go by. (And if Usopp had spent a little too long looking at Zoro sometimes, well. He wanted to go into art. Studying drawing from life was a necessary step. Or so he kept telling himself) He was someone who could easily fit into any group he wanted to. The green haired teen seemed content being a lone wolf, not talking to much of anybody- besides an orange haired girl Usopp had seen him with sometimes- and barely showing up to class.</p><p>Why should he? All that was gonna happen was that the teacher would yell at him for sleeping, so might as well do it anywhere else.</p><p>Usopp, on the flip side of things, has tried to fit in. There’s no one clique he exactly manages to fall into.</p><p>Besides, nobody was eager to hang out with the kid who told lies that could put Dolos to shame. Usopp has always had a penchant for telling stories. The kids in camps in his old town appreciated them a lot, proclaiming they were better than some of the funniest stories their friends had to tell them. Most of the kids here didn’t share the same sentiment. </p><p>Except for Kaya. </p><p>The willowy blonde had been in an art class with him. He didn’t think too much of her at first. Just another pretty girl who would likely hear his stories and turn him away like everybody else. (Not that it ever stopped him.)</p><p>But she hadn’t.</p><p>While the rest of the students at his table scowled and shifted to relocate once they realized who they were sitting with, the lithe girl moved her workstation closer to his. </p><p>He had told his story looking down on his work, as he never expected anybody to ever respond, and had become used to halting his speech when he heard the scrapping of chairs that signified people moving away. </p><p>“What happened next?” </p><p>He was startled out by his work when the girl, who was suddenly very close to him, spoke up. He leaned back a bit and looked at her. Really looked at her.</p><p>Her face was open and eyes bright. No malicious intent of any sort hidden on that face. He dared give her a small hopeful smile and hesitantly continued a small sentence of his tall tale, pleasantly surprised when the response he got in return was a winning smile and eager leaning in. </p><p>Turns out Kaya missed school. A lot. </p><p>She was prone to having bouts of illness that made her miss school. Her parents had wanted to homeschool her indefinitely but she had been very adamant about going when she felt up to it and catching up on the rest of her work remotely. </p><p>Because she missed school so much, Usopp’s reputation had never reached her ears.</p><p>Judging from her light peals of laughter at the latest twist in the story, he thinks that had she heard them, it wouldn’t have mattered. </p><p>Thus, a friendship was born. </p><p>It was nice. She brightened his day with her sunshine smiles while he did the same for her with his stories. He had even gifted her with a small book- thought describing it as such when it was, in reality, a bunch of library printer paper stapled together, was fairly generous- so she would have his stories with her if she ever fell sick again. </p><p>It was nice, even if it was only for a little while. </p><p>Like many good things, their friendship didn’t last very long. </p><p>Khaladore, tall, lanky, and all around nasty, the teen was apparently already a friend of Kaya’s and did not take too kindly to him getting friendly with Kaya. He told her, of a delinquent kid who spent time telling lies and getting into heaps of trouble when no one was looking. </p><p>Kaya found that she couldn’t quite connect the stories of a lying dirty thug to the sweet hearted Usopp she knew. But every day Khaladore would not hold back on trying to plant the seeds of doubt. And while she didn’t ever necessarily believe him, she couldn’t help but wonder; what if her parents were to hear of this. They trusted Khaladore immensely and he was part of the reason they still allowed her to go to school. Because they knew he’d be looking out for her.</p><p>But if he were to tell them of their precious daughter who won’t stay away from a low down thug. Well...She doesn’t think she’d ever make it outside her house for school again. </p><p>Yet, that reasoning felt empty in the face of actually distancing herself from Usopp; not quite as empty as the look in his eyes when he realized what was happening, but something close to it. </p><p>Of course that wasn’t enough.</p><p>Khaladore himself felt like he needed to make sure Usopp knew his place. (Which was ridiculous. Usopp knew there was no point in running after people who turned away and resolved to get over Kaya). He and his shady buddies cornered Usopp at the bleachers, a place he came to get some figure drawing done as students played sports in the field. </p><p>Usopp normally had a pretty good sense of self-preservation, however, his annoyance at getting bothered by these blockheads, along with the dark mood that had come from realizing he was going to lose his first true friend, made him mouth off just a little. (To his credit, who the hell pushed their glasses up with their wrist. He could understand maybe if their hands were dirty; but all the time seemed just the teensiest bit ridiculous).</p><p>He felt the pain of a punch much before he registered that one was thrown. And just like that he was on the ground surrounded by three guys who could take him by themselves on a good day.</p><p>They were on the underside of the bleachers, so Usopp was pretty sure this wouldn’t stop till they got tired or someone actually was able to hear them and came to check it out. </p><p>Turns out he didn’t have to wait too long for someone else to come by. He had managed to kick away one of Kahaladore’s buddies and from where his right eye was quickly swelling he could see a flash of green….It took him another second to realize he wasn’t just seeing the grass of the field.</p><p>It seems he’s not the only one who notices their guest- and it’s Zoro. Zoro who he thought was taking a nap under a tree somewhere else. Khaladore holds Usopp up by the collar, ready to turn around and tell whoever is here to piss off. His jaw slackens a bit at the sight of the green haired punk holding one of Khaladore’s buddies by the collar like him. </p><p>Only thing is that the guy Zoro is holding is already unconscious.</p><p>Zoro must have some kind of reputation. That or he must be inherently scary because all it takes is for Zoro to drop the guy only the floor, uncaring as anything, and snarling at them to get lost because they were being too loud and in the next few seconds it is just Usopp and Zoro under the bleachers. </p><p>It’s silent now.</p><p>Not in actuality, but Usopp feels like he can’t hear much besides the sounds of his own ragged breathing. Not that he had gotten beat too badly before Zoro came here, but he had a minute to register that Zoro saved him. Zoro, the guy he may or may not have been stealing glances at when he can, the guy whose general silhouette he’s probably a little too familiar with drawing and-</p><p>A rough hand grabs his face and Usopp suddenly finds himself staring down the guy he may or may not have a tiny bit of a crush on. The scent of cinnamon and steel assaults his senses, rough and somewhat overbearing. </p><p>Zoro is suddenly holding a tissue damp with water from a bottle he’d been carrying around; holding up Usopp’s jaw with a hand that seems a bit too calloused to belong to a high schooler and using the tissue to wipe blood clean from around his nose, cheek and eye. </p><p>His touch is rough in a way Usopp finds he doesn’t mind and he’s not very sure what to make of that. </p><p>Zoro frowns a bit as he stops dabbing at his face and tilts his head to the side. His earrings chime a little with the movement and Usopp suddenly finds his eyes drawn there. This close up he can’t help but trace the sharp curve of Zoro’s jaw with his eyes, looking into dark black eyes that bear just the tiniest hint of gold when the light hits them right.</p><p>He will continue to assert, this is purely for artistic purposes.</p><p>Usopp suddenly finds himself being hauled up to his feet and being helped out of the field.</p><p>“You don’t look too bad.” And oh, that’s what his voice sounds like? For still being in highschool Zoro’s voice already had a nice deep bass to it that Usopp can feel from where his arm is looped over Zoro’s shoulder. </p><p>Should guys his age have shoulders that broad?</p><p> </p><p>“Still should get you to the nurses office though.” Zoro continues and Usopp, still reeling a bit from everything happening, can only nod at him silently. </p><p>The nurses clicks her tongue at his state and quickly gives him a look over and before he knows it he’s sitting down on a chair just outside the office, waiting with Zoro for one of his parents to come pick him up. </p><p>He was surprised when he walked out and saw Zoro still sitting there. They both look at each other when Usopp sits, not quite sure what to make of each other.</p><p>Usopp opens his mouth to say something when he sees Zoro holding out a stick of gum.</p><p>Uh?</p><p>Zoro raises an eyebrow when he continues to stare at the offered item, and with a jolt he takes it and pops it in his mouth. A burst of orange flavor hits his mouth.</p><p>He had wanted to thank Zoro but he feels like he should offer something back. In a rush of what must be stupidity, he takes a small book out of his bag and holds it out to Zoro. </p><p>Usopp looks him in the eye and raises an eyebrow, teasing him in a mock imitation of what the other teen had just done to him when Zoro doesn’t immediately take the offered item.</p><p>A beat passes awkwardly.</p><p>Usopp starts to sweat thinking he had chosen the wrong move when a smirk suddenly tugs at the corner of Zoro’s mouth after the other teen chuffs out a soft breath of surprise and he takes the book from Usopp.</p><p>Usopp had originally intended to give that to Kaya. This book had not just contained stories, but pictures illustrated along with it too. And once again, he suddenly felt a wave of stupid, idiot, what would he want with that wash over him and he almost snatched the book back. </p><p>Zoro turns the item over curiously and opens it to look inside. Usopp can see one of his brows raise from where he’s sitting and that’s about it. </p><p>God this was an awful idea. </p><p>He’s about to say as much when he hears his voice being called from the end of the hall. He looks up and his dad is there.</p><p>Usopp realizes, as he picks up his stuff to leave, he should at least still say thank you. At least he won’t leave a totally bad impression. </p><p>“Uh. Er….Thanks...for earlier...y’know” Usopp stutters out, wincing at how his voice still childishly cracks.</p><p>“Don’t mention it,” Zoro answers, not looking up from the book.</p><p>Okay then.</p><p>It sounded like a threat and after that Usopp never had the courage to go seek Zoro out and ask him what he thinks about the book. (Because, belatedly, Usopp realized Zoro hadn't just stuffed his gift in his bag and left. He looked properly engrossed in it as Usopp left that day and his chest warms at the thought.) What he thinks of him.</p><p>Still, that didn’t stop him from stealing glances. Nevertheless, school rushed past them, no words spoken between them. </p><p>And then their college years came. </p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Upon getting back home from his dorm the first thing Usopp did was do some research into spiders that make you wake up sexier.</p><p>As Google quickly informed him, there was no such spider that miraculously made you sexier if it bit you. Further research did however, lead him to find the kind of spider that bit him. A huntsman spider.</p><p>They weren’t venomous though. So there was still the question of what the actual fuck was happening to him. </p><p>With a sigh he closed several of the windows on his desktop and got up to go make some dinner before it got any later than it was already. (As if it wasn’t already past 10, but such is the life of a college sophomore he supposed).</p><p>This day was already fairly long, so Usopp is sure he’s losing his mind when he reaches for the doorknob to this room and it feels thicker than normal. Much thicker.</p><p>Looking down he can barely hold back his gasp when he realizes his computer mouse is stuck to his hand. </p><p>“Okay okay, don’t freak out. Don’tttt freak outttt,” Usopp chants to himself as he tries to shake his mouse free off his hands. It’s not coming off and he gets his plastic protractor to try to pry it off, but oh look! Now that’s stuck to his hand too. Brilliant!</p><p>“Okay, freaking out just a little. Just little….”  His movements get more frantic as does his muttering and Usopp can’t control himself when his elbow hits the wall in his attempts to get the ever growing number of stuff getting attached to exposed parts of his body. </p><p>“Yo Usopp-bro! You okay in there?” Franky’s booming voice rattles through the walls. Usopp thinks that he wouldn't ever need someone with a megaphone on the field if they just got Franky. </p><p>“Uh yea, just...uhh..doing some moves for reference!” It was an awful excuse. Really. But he wasn’t exactly trying to win any awards right now, he just absolutely did not need his roommate on him right now. </p><p>“Super!!” Sure enough, Franky accepted this explanation easily and went back to….whatever it is that Franky does. (It should be obvious what the engineering major does, but there were some things that came out of Franky’s lab that he’s sure no teacher would assign their class to make.)</p><p>Dammit. Dammit!</p><p>After a few more minutes of struggling Usopp managed to get the most bothersome objects unattached but he still, quite frankly, looked like a mess. He needed to get out of his room. Going out front was not an option. He wasn’t quite sure he could explain to his roommates if they saw him, why he had various objects attached to him. He could barely explain it himself.</p><p>Well.</p><p>Usopp stared down his Spiderman comics in the corner of the room before quickly moving his gaze elsewhere.</p><p>It was crazy but…..</p><p>Was it really that crazy?</p><p>“Living with Franky must really be getting to me.” Usopp muttered as he opened up his window. Because there was no other explanation for why he was about to attach himself to the side of his building on a hunch. </p><p>Cool wind whips the side of his face and two small birds flutter out of sight and he disturbs them and all he can think is what the hell am I doing? What the actual hell am I doing? </p><p>The sun has long since set, so there are no wandering students out right now to marvel at the guy on the second floor walking on the wall. </p><p>Because yea, Usopp sure had lost his footing as soon as he stepped out and regained it by smacking his palms and the bottom of his feet on the side of the building. And he’s sticking. He’s really sticking. </p><p>He moves experimentally. Crawling around, carefully lifting each limb and setting it in place before moving another, as if he was learning to crawl again. When he somewhat gets the hang out, Usopp can’t help the vague rush of excitement he gets from it all.</p><p>All of his life he’s only ever been Usopp. And sure he was the center of his parents’ world. (He loved them so, so much) But he wanted more. He craved it. As a visual artist, Usopp was a natural observer by nature. </p><p>So many years spent, watching fleeting touches between partners, comforting shoulder rubs among friends, special handshakes between even closer friends; observing for the sake of bringing life into his art, pretending that it didn’t hurt that he had no one his own age to share these interactions with. </p><p>(It didn’t hurt. It didn’t.)</p><p>But now…..</p><p>Usopp felt a frown come on.</p><p>Now what?...It’s not like he just go….telling people about this….could he? </p><p>“Hey dude! Sick moves!”</p><p>Thank god Usopp had been unintentionally walking his way towards the ground because the loud compliment shocked him off the building and onto the floor. His room had only been two floors up, but falling any number of feet off the air to the ground was not a fun trip. </p><p>Even the height he fell at should’ve hurt somewhat, but Usopp barely felt a thing. When he looked at his hands they were barely scraped despite the fact he knew that he had used them to brace his landing. </p><p>What…</p><p>Belatedly, he realized whoever spotted him was still talking, jabbering on about how cool his parkour was, and how did he manage to stay on the wall for so long. The slur in his voice suggests that whoever saw him is drunk off their ass and not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Usopp sprints around the corner back into his dorm and room. </p><p>Close. Too close. </p><p>He heaves out a breath and sags against his door, feeling all the bones in his body melt a bit.</p><p>Okay so maybe he wasn’t ready to tell anybody quite yet. But it was worth looking into seeing what else he could. He easily find some nondescript clothes in closet….as for his face</p><p>Well the regular Spiderman type mask would have to get a hole cut in it for his nose and then there would be no point in it. What the hell could he use to cover that up?</p><p>It was at times like this he wishes he had Franky’s genius brain. Maybe he should just hang around the Engineering major a bit more to see if he gave him any kind of super smart building skills through osmosis or something. He knows his away around a couple of things, but is moreso an art person and leaves all the more complicated stuff up to Franky.</p><p>Franky…..giving….</p><p>Wait.</p><p>He suddenly remembers to look at the back of his closet where he finds….Aha! A motorcycle helmet Franky had loaned him freshman year for a project. Usopp ended up doing something else and Franky never asked after it so the object stayed in his possession. He could just paint it over a bit so Franky wouldn’t recognize it- and even without the paint job he might not. Franky had about ten helmets give or take. For what reason Usopp didn’t know but Franky was over the top about everything so it would surprise him if he had been any different about them. </p><p>Usopp sits in the middle of his dorm, at a time he should be sleeping, staring between his paints, the helmet and some non descript clothes and gets a sudden feeling that something’s gotta give.</p><p>He’s just not exactly sure what.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Life continues surprisingly normal for a little while after that. </p><p>He and his friend meet in groups at their usual spot in the cafe, classes go on, work gets assigned and done. </p><p>Oh yea and at dark Usopp now practices on the rooftops around campus at nights. He discovers a few things:</p><p>He is strong now. Like, pretty damn strong. He’s also fast. Like, really freaking fast. His vision at night is better than any humans should be. He has no trouble sticking to even the smoothest of surfaces(although this took a lot of trial and error before he could start doing it without thinking). The strangest addition of all is probably his...heightened anxiety. Super anxiety, one could call it. Usopp had his gut feelings to rely on before, but this was almost a sort of predictive sense that got ingrained into him. </p><p>And for a while Usopp just has fun with this when he can. He’s jumping from roof to roof. Even shooting a couple of webs out with a dinky web shooter he made from leftover parts from past projects scattered in his room and whatever manages to escape from Franky’s room. </p><p>It’s all fun and games, until it isn’t.</p><p>He’s sitting on the rooftop of a building just a little bit off campus grounds, idly tapping his pencil against his paper as he waits for inspiration for his next project to come and slap him in the face, or preferably his paper, when it happens. </p><p>Usopp already told himself a little while in, that he wasn’t Spiderman and he wouldn’t become Spiderman. That just wasn’t his thing. He still carries the helmet around with him in his supplies bag. No good to leave it at home where anybody can find it, he reasons.</p><p>Wrongness. Wrong. Something is Wrong.</p><p>His head lifts up curiously as his spider senses, as he’s taken to calling his super anxiety, starts tingling. </p><p>He looks over the edge of the roof when he hears a yelp and grits his teeth at the sight of a girl surrounded by three guys. </p><p>He carefully sticks himself to the building behind them and lowers himself down quietly so he can get an advantage over them after getting the helmet situated on his person. As he gets closer a heated conversation becomes accessible to him.</p><p>“...op joking around. I’m willing to forget about this if you just stop, but this isn’t funny!” He grabs the edge of a window and uses it to line up with the group.</p><p>“What part made you think I was joking? Listen just ask daddy dearest for a little extra money for some books and send it over to me okay? If you keep acting this stubborn I might have to do something drastic.” A clink of metal can be heard along with a startled gasp.</p><p>“....Please. We’ve been friends for so long, do you really only want money from me…?” Usopp tries to move down more only to hastily retreat as he almost knocks an unsteady brick off the building and tries a different direction.</p><p>A scoff, followed by sickly sweet words. “If we’ve been friends for so long why are you acting so stubborn about a little favor.” The voice quickly turned more aggressive. “Listen if you don’t agree we’re just gonna kill you anywhere and reap the money while your parents mourn. God knows they’d be willing.” </p><p>By now loud sobs can be heard echoing through the dirty alley and Usopp can’t stand to listen another minute. Plus it sounded like he would need to act fast anyway.</p><p>Usopp already told himself a little while in, that he wasn’t Spiderman and he wouldn’t become Spiderman. That just wasn’t his thing. He really wasn’t going to get involved. One of the guys reached out to shove the girl right when he turns around and his body acts before he’s even really thinking about just what he’s doing. </p><p>Before he knows it, two grown men are unconscious and the third is fearfully dragging them out the alley with him.</p><p>A sense of familiarity nags at the back of his skull. It’s irritating because he knows them. He knows he knows them, but it doesn’t exactly hit who he just beat up until-</p><p>“....Um. Thank you…..?” A soft bell like voice chimes from behind him and Usopp freezes in his tracks because god how did he not realize sooner.</p><p>He knew who was standing behind him, but he still felt the wind leave his chest catch at the sight of Kaya. </p><p>Kaya; sweet Kaya who so easily made a home in his heart and burned it down just as fast.</p><p>Any words he would’ve said got caught in his throat as he looked at her and he could even find it in himself to nod at her.</p><p>…</p><p>A couple of beats pass before Usopp decides it's time to go.</p><p>Just as he turns to leave Kaya calls out, “Please, what is your name?”</p><p>The name comes unbidden, albeit in a slightly deeper voice than his usual. It comes naturally, as if he was saying his own, “Birdeater.” </p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Usopp already told himself a little while in, that he wasn’t Spiderman and he wouldn’t become Spiderman. That just wasn’t his thing.</p><p>So he becomes Birdeater instead. </p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>And yea, so maybe the spider that bit him wasn’t a goliath birdeater. </p><p>He had come across the species while looking for what it was that bit him. He didn’t look too much into it at the time, because it was very obviously not what bit him, but somewhere in the back of his mind he couldn’t help but think it must have lived what could only be described as an awesome existence. </p><p>Birds are naturally higher on the food chain than the spider. It’s what most people would say if asked. </p><p>The name of the giant implied it had the power to defy its fate. To rise up and for any part of its life be stronger than what naturally was better than it. And well Usopp had always appreciated stories about the little guy coming out on top. </p><p>(Besides, Birdeater sounded objectively cooler to him anyway than Huntsman.)</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>It’s nothing short of a little crazy how fast Birdeater becomes something of a local legend. </p><p>There’s no real field guide on the vigilante business. There’s no youtube video on time management for being a superhero and a college student.</p><p>After Kaya it’s just a few people with a classic case of wrong place, wrong time. But it’s enough to get people talking.</p><p>Usopp for his part takes it in stride. Not much has changed for him, besides maybe an hour less sleep a night, which isn’t great, but it’s nothing he can’t handle. And it’s the least he can do, because with powers like his, he should really be helping people as much as possible; but in the end he is still but a college student.</p><p>Nothing much changes.</p><p>Besides the fact that he gets a friend back.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>It’s the start of the third week of the semester.</p><p>Workloads are starting to pile, but not enough to seriously stress many people out yet.</p><p>Usopp finds himself at the campus cafe, with Zoro and Chopper.</p><p>Chopper is a med student. One of the brightest people in personality and in mind. He cares a great deal about helping people and taking care of them.</p><p>Somewhere along the way he often forgets to take care of himself. </p><p>A sleepy Chopper is currently leaning against Zoro’s side as Usopp urges Chopper to eat while he does his work. Or preferably take a break. </p><p>It’s a somewhat funny image, since Chopper is bigger than both of them, by...a lot. The kid might be younger than all of them, but he’s already six foot three and is somewhat outgrowing his lanky nature. Nowhere near Zoro, and now Usopp's level, but it’s getting somewhere. </p><p>It contrasted heavily to his ever sweet demeanor and impossibly high voice, which was currently protesting over Usopp trying to get something into his mouth. </p><p>“Chopper come on, if you’re not gonna eat at least take a nap,” Usopp urges, only to receive soft snoring as his answer.</p><p>He shares a look with Zoro and notices the man was subtly rubbing soothing circles onto Chopper's back and urging him to lean on him more and more. </p><p>Zoro was a biology student with a physical therapy specialization. Zoro had also taken a class on massage therapy and was pretty damn good at it.</p><p>(It was apparently what he was over at his dorm for that one night. Brook and Franky didn’t fail in letting him for the whole week after how good Zoro’s massage was.</p><p>He wasn’t sure whether or not it was a good or bad thing he missed out on it.)</p><p>“Jeez.” Usopp sighed out of relief as he saw his friend resting and gave Zoro a small smile. “I swear he’s gonna work himself sick one day.”</p><p>Zoro huffs at that, soft as to not disturb the sleeping lump next to him, but still derisive. “Probably already has at some point. Too damn smart to be working himself this hard already. He shouldn’t be this tired.” He finishes with a frown.</p><p>“Well he might just need a break. After all it’s not like he’s the only here who likes to take naps.” And Usopp expects to get a playfit hit or a teasing grin, as his comment was very much pointed towards Zoro. </p><p>His ability to fall asleep just about anywhere was outstanding to say the least.</p><p>What he didn’t expect was for Zoro to catch his eyes with a smirk and say</p><p>“My other shoulder is free if you need to catch some sleep too.”</p><p>Because yea, Zoro looks rough on the outside, but he can be pretty nice to people he holds close. Even still it’s not like he ever offers Nami a nap on his shoulder. </p><p>The smirk makes Usopp think the other man is teasing him back, but his eyes-</p><p>He can’t quite identify what he sees in there, but Usopp knows it means the man will gladly let Usopp use him for a rest stop. </p><p>Before he can respond, a soft voice calls their attention from the opening of their booth. </p><p>Usopp’s brain blanks out at seeing Kaya because what was she doing there? Did she figure out his identity?</p><p>He barely registers there’s also a small white haired man standing a few feet behind her, trying to give her some semblance of privacy but still staying close. She shuffles a little nervously, flitting her gaze between Chopper, Usopp, Zoro and back to Usopp again. “C-can I speak to you Usopp?”</p><p>And he freezes. He doesn’t hate Kaya, not in any sense of the word. But...he’s not quite sure he can really speak to her, especially not by himself. </p><p>He’s saved from responding when Zoro speaks up gruffly. “Anything you have to say to Usopp, you can say in front of us too.”</p><p>And Usopp looks at Zoro. Zoro who currently has a little drool on his shirt from where Chopper is dozing soundly. Zoro, who moved his legs under the booth table so that they were knocking knees. Zoro, who couldn’t move closer in risk of jostling Chopper and decides to drape his arm around Usopp’s shoulder to give him the comfort of him just being there and reeling him a bit closer to his body. </p><p>Usopp looks at Zoro and for a moment forgets where they are and what is happening.</p><p>“Good?” Zoro’s breath comes out low, and ghost a little on Usopp’s cheek. </p><p>Usopp looks at Zoro-</p><p>“...Good.”</p><p>And can’t help but suddenly remember that he likes Zoro a lot. Maybe too much. But then again, Usopp likes a lot of a good thing.</p><p>From his side Usopp can hear a rushed out apology. He turns, remembering that Kaya was here and suddenly finds himself thrown when she also stammers out more apologies and explains. </p><p>Explains the cunningness of Khaladore, his stubbornness and how now he was suddenly gone. Explains her fears and doubts and her regret. By the end of it her ears are watery and her head is bowed. She had finished with a last apology and a promise about how she’ll leave him be if he doesn’t accept her apology. She wouldn’t hold it against him. </p><p>And Usopp feels for her. Really he does. He’s not a vindictive person and yea Kaya hurt him, but it was hurting her too. She didn’t mean to and that’s what matters the most to Usopp. </p><p>She is all sunshine and smiles when he tells her as such and they happily exchange numbers with promises to keep in contact and excited grins on both of their faces because who wouldn’t be happy to get a friend back. </p><p>Usopp chances a glance at Zoro and his grin falters a little bit when he sees the expression the green head is giving to Kaya’s retreating form. He calls out to him, and his heart stutters when Zoro looks back at him and his expression changes to one of happiness. Genuine happiness for Usopp and what he gained today.</p><p>They go back to chatting aimlessly and Usopp feels content, if only for a little while.</p><p>He can’t help but think about the expression Zoro had on his face when Kaya was still in the cafe. He can’t identify it but he can remember the last time he did see it. </p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>They didn’t always meet up at the cafe.</p><p>Far from it, they used to avoid it. Punk Hazard was already a shady enough name for a fucking cafe. On top of that, the inside smelled of a high schooler boy’s room and the drinks tasted like shit. </p><p>So yea, not the hottest place on campus to hang out. </p><p>Their usual place, like many other students, was the main mess hall. But god that place was a fucking zoo. </p><p>Students trampling over other students to get the last of fruits. Lines long enough that you couldn’t pick up anything on class break unless you were looking to skip the rest of it anyway. Constant noise enough to put some of the clubs in their area to shame.</p><p>It really and truly was god awful in every sense of the word.</p><p>And yea maybe Punk Hazard wasn’t that much worse in comparison, but at least the stuff at the mess hall was edible.</p><p>But there was just a day. Just one day Usopp could not take it. It was near midterms for their final freshman semester and the whole campus was abuzz. Usually the crowd and the noise was still somewhat manageable but that day Usopp just could not do it.</p><p>It had been several days actually, that he felt like every time he walked into that mess hall his head was going to spin right off his shoulders. </p><p>That’s probably why he barely noticed when one day, Zoro accosted him just outside of the mess hall, and dragged him over to Punk Hazard. </p><p>The somewhat rank smell had josteled him out of whatever state he had been in and he looked at Zoro questioningly he saw that they were seated in the decrepit cafe.  </p><p>The tips of Zoro’s ears turned pink (cute cute cute) and between a rushed breath and a cup of coffee being pushed towards him Usopp hears an explanation of how Zoro noticed that you weren't doing good in the mess hall. This is quieter. There’s more natural light. More space. </p><p>And the fact that Zoro even noticed, noticed enough to do something about it of his own volition is. It makes him beam. </p><p>A beam that quickly turns to a bemused expression when he examines the cup of coffee in front of him. He looks back up at Zoro. “Don’t people say the coffee here has mold in it?” </p><p>And most people would just shake their heads and probably confirm the coffee doesn’t have mold in it. </p><p>“It keeps you awake.” Is what Zoro chooses to say instead. Which shouldn’t be surprising to Usopp because he’s fairly sure that Zoro could down a bottle of perfume and not blink.</p><p>So Usopp downs the coffee (no mold thank god) and enjoys time with his friend.</p><p>And that’s their thing.</p><p>The two of them still meet up with their friends occasionally, but most of the time they can be found working and hanging out at Punk Hazard.</p><p>Until Franky and Luffy just so happened upon them one day and invited themselves to join them. And somehow the rest of their friends start showing up too after that. Who shows up is random and sporadic, but Zoro and Usopp are constants always.</p><p>Usopp had been a little peeved at first because he had a thing with Zoro. Just the two of them and it was easy. It was nice.</p><p>But when Luffy uses the straws to do a Sanji impression and snorts soda through his nose Usopp can’t find himself mad for too long. He glances at Zoro between one of his laughing fits and finds that expression resting on the other man's face before it passes and he enjoyed the company of their friends.</p><p>Usopp wasn’t quite sure what the expression meant back then and he still doesn’t know what it means now. </p><p>There’s a small part of his brain that whispers to him, he could be jealous. He could be a bit irritated he can’t have time with you to himself. And he immediately squashes that thought down because it was ridiculous.</p><p>He ignored the small flutter he got at the chance that it might be true.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Despite killing that small little hope that maybe Zoro was just vying for his attention, Usopp goes ahead and makes a decision anyway. Because their group only meets at the cafe about twice a week. </p><p>He asks Zoro if they could do a third time with just them for some weeks, granted they're not too busy. Because there is a day where everybody's schedule lines up perfectly, but ironically that's the day they usually each take to themselves. Preferring to hang out with each other on the two days a week, or on the weekend.</p><p>The smile Zoro gives him in response makes him think he did something right.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>The next time they are back at Punk Hazard, it is with Nami, Law and Robin. There’s also bad Usopp’s bad mood sitting with them as well.</p><p>(He helped a lady out the night before from getting robbed. But her family had been close by and just had to have each and every single member thank him profusely. He wasn’t the type of guy who could just leave, but they had been there for quite a while. And when he finally got to leaving, he had come across two more problems that he couldn’t just turn his back to. The end result being getting back home at two in the morning, having to stay up till four to finish a forgotten assignment and falling asleep, only to wake back up just as quickly because of an early morning class.)</p><p>Nami is a double major in business and finance. Looking at her, Usopp sees a good friend and a menace. He can’t help but think about the absolute terror she’ll be to businesses everywhere when she’s out in the field. About how much she’ll turn everything over on its head.</p><p>For now she does just fine showing everybody up on campus; always looking like she’s ready to walk the runway with a near 4.0 GPA on top of it. </p><p>Robin is pursuing a major in history. To do what specifically, Usopp isn’t entirely sure. Whenever he tries to ask she just gives him a smile and if he tries to ask Franky he just talks about how it’s something super!</p><p>Which, unsurprisingly doesn’t clear up anything and all and Usopp just thinks he’ll see what she does when it happens. (Which shouldn’t be a terrifying prospect but Robin has a dangerous air about her. He knows it, their friends know it and most importantly she knows it.)</p><p>Law is a med student. Looking at him, Usopp can say that Law is not his friend. He is Luffy’s friend. He is Chopper’s friend. He is Nami’s friend somewhat. (Their parents know each other, or something like that. Usopp isn’t entirely sure on the details of it and he doesn’t care.) He and Robin have each other’s respect for...something. (Usopp doesn’t know, he doesn’t care.) And he is Zoro’s friend. </p><p>While he doesn’t care much about Law’s relationships with most of his friends, he doesn’t care much for his relationship with Zoro. </p><p>Law and Zoro know each other through Chopper. Usopp and Zoro also attend gardening clubs sometimes. So does Law’s friend Bepo, and Law hangs around sometimes; making himself familiar with Zoro after recognizing him because of Chopper or something. </p><p>Usopp doesn’t care about the how of things. </p><p>What he cares about is where Law and Zoro are now.</p><p>Because they don’t seem particularly close, they don’t hang out a lot and aren’t usually seen with each other. But when they do, Law is all over Zoro. A lot. It may not seem like it, because Law isn’t a touchy feely person in general. But that’s what makes his interactions with Zoro stand out so much.</p><p>Zoro is a tactile person, and Usopp is fine with that. He doesn’t mind- too much- when Zoro throws his arm over Law’s shoulders. It’s not a tight hold and it’s something Usopp can get past. It’s the way that Law leans in a little, laughs huskily in Zoro’s ears as they chat, plays with his earrings when he thinks no one is looking. That’s what Usopp cannot stand to see.</p><p>(And he is not jealous. Not entirely. He wishes he had the courage to be as forward.)</p><p>When Law hangs out with them, Usopp tends to talk more so to whoever else is there, if he talks at all.</p><p>It’s fine. It always is. He always carries his art supplies with him so he can easily look like he is absorbed in his work, and like he doesn’t care that-</p><p>“Hey what are you working on?”</p><p>Zoro’s voice makes him jump a little and he looks up at him curiously. He squashes down the mental image of him doing a small victory dance as Zoro leans away from Law to carefully use the eraser of a pencil to turn the loose page Usopp is working on a little bit towards him. </p><p>“You don’t usually use your acrylics for classwork, is this a personal project?” </p><p>“K-kind of..” he breathes out after his brain stops for a second with the realization of oh my god he pays attention to stuff like that. The little things like that. “It’s extra credit. Make ourselves fit into another world as seen by someone else.” </p><p>Zoro hums as he rubs his chin in contemplation as he looks over the picture. “Are you deciding what color to make your clothes for this?”</p><p>Usopp nods because he was having a little trouble with that.</p><p>Robin pipes up from where she’s taking notes from a book. “I wouldn’t recommend green.” </p><p>Zoro fixes her with a weird look. “Why would he choose green? The entire page is filled with lots of green already.”</p><p>She looks up to Zoro and then Usopp with a look that makes him feel like she can see each and every single one of his thoughts. </p><p>“Oh I hadn’t noticed.” She smiles indulgently at Zoro. “I just don’t think it’s a very good color for Usopp, don’t you think so?” </p><p>Zoro looks at her weirdly before rolling his eyes. “It’s not a bad color….I would go for something more yellow. You look good in yellow.” </p><p>Wow. Okay.</p><p>“Thanks Zoro…” Usopp mutters bashfully, cheeks tinged with the slightest bit of pink as he continues to work.</p><p>Robin, for her part, acknowledges Zoro’s comment with nothing more than a small hum and another page turned in her book. </p><p>Law, for his part, decides to make his exit. He’s a part time assistant at the nurse’s office and really does have to go. He mutters darkly about it, seemingly annoyed with his recent shifts, with students coming in and talking about Birdeater this and Birdeater that. </p><p>Usopp stiffens as his friends quickly devolve into somewhat excited chatter because apparently there is a rumor going around that Birdwater might be a student on campus. </p><p>Robin tilts her head with a hum, while Nami rolls her eyes along with Law at the theory. Zoro on the other hand looks a bit contemplative.</p><p>After, Law makes his goodbyes for real, his one with Zoro being a bit longer than the rest of them. This isn’t unusual, but it quickly brings Usopp’s mood back down a little. So much so that barely notices that Zoro is asking him something. </p><p>“.....do that together?” The other man asks with a bashful neck rub. </p><p>Robin at that point, packs up and leaves as well. She’s a teacher’s assistant so she can’t lounge around researching all day. </p><p>Now Usopp knows that Zoro just asked to do something together with him. He only caught the tail end of the sentence so he doesn’t know what exactly the other man is asking him about. </p><p>His future self will forever berate him for this, but Usopp is not in a good mood. People tend to make mistakes when they are not in a good mood. But this is probably one of the dumber things Usopp has done. He can admit that to himself.</p><p>Because not only did he not just ask Zoro to repeat his question. He straight up turned him down. </p><p>Usopp for the love god, still doesn’t know what exactly made him say no. It wasn’t because he didn’t know the question was because he could’ve easily said yes and figured out the details later, but no. He just had to say no.</p><p>Zoro nods and doesn’t look bothered. But his stuff is packed and gone within the next few minutes and Usopp feels like he missed something. Something important. Because that is weird for Zoro. They are usually the last two to leave the cafe, but now it is just Usopp and Nami. Nami, who is giving him a look from across the booth. </p><p>Usopp likes to believe that Nami, despite her complaints about the childishness and general levels of stupidity the men in their group could hit, thinks that they were all smart and extremely capable in their own way. </p><p>That is why he so graciously chooses to ignore the look she's giving him that so clearly conveys that she thinks he's an idiot. And you know what, she might not even be directing that look at him. There were plenty of other people around them. (As compared to the number of people usually at that spot anyway.) She probably thought one of them was an idiot, but not him! It would make sense considering-</p><p>“You’re an idiot.”</p><p>Right. Well then. </p><p>He gives her a slightly hurt look, but she is entirely unaffected. They stare at each other for a bit longer before she lets out a sigh.</p><p>The look she gives him now isn’t quite as harsh, but it still is up there. Especially when she tilts her chin just a bit to look at him from above. </p><p>Looking at her now, he thinks of Sanji. The man who grovels under many women, but at her feet especially. The culinary major expresses his love for her through food whenever he can. Looking at her like this, Usopp can understand Sanji’s desire to bare his neck to her whenever she is around.</p><p>Not that he thought Nami wasn’t beautiful or anything, because anyone could see she was, plain as day. It just never particularly struck him, how much so till right now; because in her anger she is fierce and it radiates off her like a small sun.</p><p>(Also probably because he spent most of his time noticing Zoro.)</p><p>Although thinking of Sanji he can’t help but feel bad. Because while Nami is most definitely single, she is most definitely not looking. Mainly because she already has so much at her doorstep.</p><p>He’s seen it all; the light touches shared between her and Vivi, the rival filled gazes with something more hidden behind eyes that her Tashigi give each other as they run track, the familiar way Carrot and Wanda drape themselves over Nami, the playful glances thrown back and forth between her and Lola, the ketchup stained jacket she borrows from Bonney sometimes as if it’s her own. </p><p>There’s so much in front of her that where love is concerned, Sanji isn’t even considered an option. </p><p>(Hell, he thinks he may have seen Nami giving more attention to Reiju, Sanji’s sister, than the blonde himself.)</p><p>“What did I do?” He questions her, because Nami is usually right about things. Who is he to go against her if she thinks he is being particularly stupid. </p><p>Her gaze narrows at him as if to say, you know what. She opens her mouth to say something before snapping it shut after a brief moment’s consideration. The redhead lets out an angry huff of air and mumbles under her breath about all boys being idiots down to the heart.</p><p>Truly none of this was helping him with the problem at hand. </p><p>“Just,” she finally starts, looking at him with annoyance still, but a little bit of worry on top of that. (Because while she has been friends with Zoro for much longer, Usopp is still a dear friend of hers as well.) “Get yourself together. Don’t worry about everything else and just. Just get on with it.” And that is all she offers him before she makes her way out. </p><p>Usopp is left alone in Punk Hazard to contemplate just what the hell she’s talking about. </p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Life goes on.</p><p>Classes continue, work piles up, and Birdeater is occasionally out on the job, helping who he can during the nighttime. </p><p>It is the end of the sixth week of school when he finally seeks out Zoro by himself. </p><p>Since that day at the cafe it felt like Zoro had been avoiding him as much as he could. </p><p>At a meetup, Usopp clearly sees Zoro walk away when Usopp is the only one at the booth. Brook and Chopper join him a little later and they have fun, but it doesn’t stop a small hole from opening up in his chest. It doesn’t feel right to be sitting in that booth without Zoro, because it’s always been them. </p><p>Zoro wasn’t necessarily avoiding Usopp per se; he was avoiding being alone with him. </p><p>Because he had no problem sitting down with the group when someone else besides Usopp was with them. Which. Ouch. </p><p>He’s tired of it, because he doesn’t know what he rejected in the first place and more than that he just misses his friend, a fuckton. </p><p>He misses the constant presence Zoro had, the grounding touch he provided, the easy laughs and conversations they had, his implicit understanding of Usopp in a way he thought wasn’t possible. He misses Zoro.</p><p>If his friends notice his mopey mood they don’t say anything about it. </p><p>It won’t be much of a problem anymore though. He would simply invite Zoro to do something else tonight. He had woke up this morning with a rare burst of confidence, as if another personality had taken over his body. He wouldn’t question it though; not when he so desperately needed it. </p><p>Cornering Zoro was the easy part, they knew each other's schedules pretty well and Usopp’s building wasn’t too far from where Zoro’s was.</p><p>But as he asked Zoro about coming over tomorrow night because it would just be the two of them, ice suddenly felt like it hit his spine. Because for some reason it was just now hitting him Zoro could say no.</p><p>The man had been avoiding him for some time now, Usopp was a fool for thinking it would be as easy as just going up to ask Zoro if he just wanted to hang out just like that.</p><p>He found himself at a loss of words when Zoro quickly agreed and then disappeared before he could get another word in. </p><p>Turns out, it was just as easy as just going up to ask Zoro if he wanted to hang out. Okay. Good. That was really good. This was great even!</p><p>He had a chance, he couldn’t fuck it up. And maybe if they got back on track with their friendship then….</p><p>Well. Usopp would think about that when they got there. For now he could sit back and relax. His day was going well.</p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Usopp was not having a good day. Not at all. </p><p>He had got caught in the rain this morning on the way back from his early class and had a messed up project to show for it, making the time he spent in class that day worthless. </p><p>Punk Hazard was apparently closed for repairs that day (he wasn’t sure why they were even bothering but far be it from him to say anything about it) and he didn’t have the energy to seek out the rest of his friends to find somewhere else to hang out. Thus, Usopp found himself working back at home.</p><p>He had spent all day hunched over his desk before looking at the time and realizing he had spent practically the entire day in his room. It was just about seven so he went from Usopp to Birdeater, and snuck out his window into the night. </p><p>Stress brought on by midterms, he finds it being released through taking out petty baddies. </p><p>At some point when he wraps things up with a middle aged man who tries to get away with stealing a purse, he ends up opening up? </p><p>He let out a chest heaving sigh after tying him up and the guy asks him what's weighing on you buddy? And maybe it’s because he’s tired, or maybe it’s because he’s an idiot like Nami said, but he finds himself opening up about his recent crush troubles. (And who else would he talk to about it if not some wannabe bandit.)</p><p>The guy tells him he needs to use the time he secured with Zoro to win him over and Usopp nods absently because duh he already knew that when he suddenly freezes.</p><p>Because there are two things on Usopp’s mind in that moment:</p><p>On the one hand he is deeply regretting a lot of his choices in life that could’ve possibly led him to getting love advice from a criminal in an alley at about nine at night.</p><p>On the other hand he is trying not to freak out because it is almost nine o'clock and he is pretty sure this is the night he asked Zoro to come over. </p><p>No, scratch that. This is the night he asked Zoro to come over and he was probably on his way over right now and oh my god.</p><p>Ignoring the agitated shout he gets at leaving the man tied up in the alley, Usopp rushes to the rooftops and sprints across them to get home because the last thing he needs is to miss Zoro and then go back to not having his friend there with him. </p><p>On a pure whim, he takes a route that he knows Zoro would probably take. It was the fastest way to get from his off campus building to the dorms. </p><p>Wrongness. Wrong. Something is Wrong.</p><p>Sure enough, he does manage to spot a flash of green on the streets below. </p><p>He almost sighs in relief at the fact he can still beat Zoro back, except there are a couple of other heads around the man and sure, they might be his friends, but something is telling him otherwise and soon enough he finds himself on the ground where they are. </p><p>All Usopp manages to see is Zoro, the usually unshakeable Zoro, hunched over after a punch to the gut which makes him grunt harshly. His stuff is strewn on the floor along with three of the guys who ganged up on him. Zoro, who’s probably just as exhausted from midterms as everyone else and doesn’t have the energy to keep up as well as he usually can.</p><p>That and the sight of someone pulling out a pocket knife is all it takes for Usopp's vision to go red and for him to suddenly be standing next to Zoro with the last thugs unconscious on the floor.</p><p>A very much bleeding Zoro.</p><p>He walks up the man quickly and grabs him by the chin to examine the wound more closely and fuck.</p><p>There is a long vertical slash running right across Zoro’s eye. He thinks so anyway. There’s so much blood running down that side of his face that he can’t tell. Zoro’s eyebrows are drawn in as he grits his teeth from the pain of it. His other eye, not injured, is wide as he takes in Usopp. Probably because this is the first time he’s seen Birdeater, Usopp registers somewhere in the back of his mind.</p><p>That’s hardly important right now. </p><p>The hospital is far. Too far. Unthinkingly, Usopp scoops Zoro up and leaps away towards the on the ground nurse’s office, because with any luck, it’ll just be a head wound and they can go home without any problems. </p><p>It never is that easy.</p><p>The nurse on duty that night is a surly looking lady. She is there with Chopper and they both jump out of their skin when he jumps through the doors with Zoro in his arms despite the man’s protest that he can walk. </p><p>The nurses both quickly collect themselves and usher him to move Zoro onto a bed so they can get a good look at him. The older nurse is shouting at Chopper to grab this and that and Usopp…</p><p>He takes the moment to slip out and head back home. Because if he knows anything about Chopper, he knows that he won’t let Zoro leave by himself. Which meant that the rest of their group would surely get informed about this little incident.</p><p>Sure enough, just as he slips back inside his dorm and changes out of his uit, Franky is practically busting down his door telling him to get a move on. </p><p>“Zoro-bro is hurt!! We gotta go now.”</p><p>Usopp quickly finds himself back at the nurses office, with all of his friends surrounding Zoro’s bed. </p><p>There was a bandage over Zoro’s eye. </p><p>Apparently the cut wasn’t deep enough to require any kind of hospital treatment. (The nurse working here was a retired hospital doctor anyway. Chopper had talked about her many times now that Usopp thought about it.) But he would probably lose a little bit of sight in that eye. How much remains to be seen, but Zoro would probably still have use of both of his eyes. </p><p>Despite hearing it was nothing serious, the crew still crowds their friends, as if just being closer to him will make him feel better and heal up. </p><p>Usopp hangs back because now that he isn’t on autodrive he has time to process some things.</p><p>He really, really wants to pass out. Because his brain keeps trying to go down the road of what if he wasn’t there, what if he just decided to go straight back home. And he finds he can’t think about that for too long because then he’ll be sick.</p><p>Another thing is stuff he noticed in the moment but he couldn’t think about till all the adrenaline rushed it’s way out of his system. </p><p>It was hard not to notice, even now with dried blood on his shirt it was just such a noticeable thing that it was a wonder nobody commented about it. </p><p>Zoro is wearing a Very Nice Shirt. </p><p>Zoro does not wear Very Nice Shirts.</p><p>Zoro mostly owns shirts built for sweating out at the gym, or ratty shirts from high school the man couldn’t be bothered to throw away because that would mean meaningless shopping.</p><p>Usopp wouldn’t have ever known Zoro owned a shirt like the one he was wearing had he not been seeing it on him with his very own eyes. </p><p>Not only is Zoro wearing a Very Nice Shirt, but when Usopp came across him earlier, he’s fairly sure he saw flowers scattered about on the floor- flowers that looked like they had been pulled from the front garden of the school, but flowers nonetheless. And he highly doubted any of the guys attacking Zoro were carrying flowers. </p><p>Tonight, Zoro had been out wearing a Very Nice Shirt and carrying flowers. And as Usopp realized what that meant, he wanted to curl up somewhere and groan and moan.</p><p>Because Zoro was most certainly ready to go on a date after he came by and left Usopp’s place.</p><p>He could barely hear their friends fussing over the flies buzzing around in his head. Because of course he would be going on a date. Zoro is a catch, anybody would be dumb not to notice, and eventually someone was going to act on it. Usopp had just taken too long and now somebody else was going to have their chance and probably not fuck it up as royally as he did. </p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>As the night carried on, their friends eventually filtered out, satisfied that Zoro was fine. Usopp and Chopper were the last ones there. </p><p>Chopper, by consequence of being the nurse’s assistant on duty that night, still had another few hours before his shift was up and could not see Zoro home, but had insisted that somebody should. </p><p>Usopp was the first to volunteer, because despite his heartbreaking realization, he still felt like he should talk to Zoro. He owed him an apology and an explanation. </p><p>And so he finds himself just outside of Zoro’s apartment room, trying to work up the courage to ask him to talk.</p><p>He stares at the ground pensively for a few seconds before blurting out-</p><p>“Can I come in and talk?”<br/>
“Do you want to come in?”</p><p>Words get mixed together, as they both speak out rushed questions at nearly the same time. They both look at each other in surprise before they look away with red tinting their cheeks. </p><p>Zoro goes back to unlocking the door, rushing inside without a word once it’s open and leaving the door open behind him. Usopp hesitantly follows in and suddenly he finds himself beckoned over by Zoro to a couch that looks like it’s seen better days.</p><p>“So…” Usopp starts off eloquently.</p><p>“So…”</p><p>....</p><p>A couple of beats pass as they each try to find the words to say. </p><p>“Listen Zoro. I….I owe you an apology.” </p><p>And of all things, Zoro looks surprised when he hears Usopp say that. Which is he can’t comprehend. It doesn’t make any sense, because Usopp had hurt him and didn’t even apologize before assuming they were on good terms so why was Zoro looking at him like that. </p><p>“An…..apology….” Yep, definitely confused.</p><p>Usopp nods weakly.</p><p>“.....For what?” He sounds the most perplexed Usopp has ever heard him sound in his life. </p><p>Usopps explains; explains his bad mood at the cafe, turning him down because of it and not actually knowing what it was about, but mostly his bad mood, not reaching out to him sooner and other noises that get garbled up with the rest of his words. Somewhere after that he manages to wish him luck on whoever he’s going to ask out.</p><p>And Zoro.</p><p>Zoro is looking at him like he’s a particularly hard puzzle he can’t figure out.</p><p>“Usopp,” Zoro starts slowly, “Who do you think I’m going on a date with?” There’s a tig of amusement in the corner of his expression and Usopp can’t fathom why. </p><p>He shrugs helplessly. “I don’t know….it’s just I saw you were dressed up nice and just figured after you came over to my place you were gonna meet up with someone else…”</p><p>“Why someone else. Why couldn’t it have been you?”</p><p>Usopp practically wilts on himself a little. God this is a conversation he didn’t want to have. Not now. Not ever. “Well it’s just….guys like you never fall for guys like me.”</p><p>Okay, there it’s out there. Now he can wait for Zoro to scoff at him and turn around and leave. (Or tell him to leave. It is his apartment after all.)</p><p>He’s startled when he hears a low rumble of a laugh. It’s a bit harsh, as if his vocal chords aren’t used to making such a sound.</p><p>“Usopp” Zoro starts with a soft smile. His eye crinkles a little at the side and Usopp thinks he could look at that smile for just about ever. “Do you think I get coffee with you all the time cuz I like the damn stuff so much?”</p><p>And oh.</p><p>Oh. </p><p>No way. It doesn’t make any sense.</p><p>Except it does. </p><p>Considering what Zoro is saying, a lot of little things fall into place and oh god.</p><p>Usopp groans and buries his head in Zoro’s shoulders. His face is surely flushed red from the embarrassment and Zoro’s body rumbles with a low chuckle. </p><p>“D-do you really mean it?” Usopp asks in a small voice. And he hopes Zoro does because at this point he doesn’t know what he’d do if the other man didn’t.</p><p>(Probably break down somewhere and cry probably.)</p><p>“Course I do.” And it’s said with such certainty that Usopp really does believe it down to his core. </p><p>“...What about Law?” He still can’t help but ask.</p><p>And then Zoro snorts because, “What about Law?”</p><p>He hesitantly snakes one of his free hands over to Zoro’s and can’t stop the broad smile from breaking across his face when he feels Zoro’s hands intertwine with his. </p><p>“...What did you want to talk to me about?” He’s fairly sure it was probably whatever conversation they just had, but Usopp asked just to be sure.</p><p>Zoro drops his head down on Usopp’s head and lets out a slow hum. </p><p>“Well…” He starts out hesitantly, a far cry from how he sounded a mere minute ago. “I….I know you’re Birdeater.”</p><p>Ah.</p><p>“Oh ok-WAIT WHAT?!”</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Usopp is just any other person that passes by.</p><p>Until he isn’t</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Zoro remembers high school vaguely. A boring place, filled with boring people. He remembered feeling surprised that such a dreadful place could house two of the best people he’ll ever have come to meet in his life.</p><p>He remembers hearing rumors about the kid who tells lies that stretch out even further than his nose. </p><p>He remembers thinking the kid was probably as dull and annoying as everyone else there. </p><p>And he remembered being pleasantly surprised when he finally got a class with the kid and found himself drawn into the tall tales. This kid had way more charisma and gusto than everybody else in the school combined.</p><p>He wanted to know him, be his friend. </p><p>But he didn’t know how.</p><p>The relationships he had now could be described as anything, but normal. His weird relationship with his dad and his sister(and he loved the both of them to death but god they were weirdos). The intense rivalry he had with Kuina that was too a point neither of them had ever actually admitted out loud they were friends. There was also Nami.</p><p>And Nami was Nami.</p><p>He could barely remember how he had come to make friends with Kuina and Nami and thus found himself unsure of how to approach Usopp.</p><p>So he never did. </p><p>Zoro instead was content with hanging back, snarling at bullies who even thought of turning in Usopp’s direction and looking out for him from the back. </p><p>At some point he noticed Usopp picked up an actual friend in the form of a willowy blonde, and as jealous of her as he was. He was also happy for the kid, he deserved it. He looked especially happy with her around.</p><p>He wasn’t entirely sure what happened, but he did know that soon enough she wasn’t around anymore and Usopp had much more of a slouch than usual.</p><p>Then Zoro happened across some goons trying to beat him for god knows what reason. He didn’t care. They were loud and annoying and being fucking assholes.</p><p>Zoro remembers sitting with Usopp outside the nurse’s office and trying to think of something he could say. Anything that might spark friendship. The only thing he could do was offer Usopp gum. Fucking gum. The other teen took it and offered back something and Zoro remembers being surprised as hell.</p><p>He got a picture book that looked professional as hell. He remembers being enamored with the pictures on the page that matched the story being told and wondered how any of the other kids in the school ever scoffed at Usopp. He wished they got to read this rather than some of the shit they read in class. </p><p>He was enraptured by it that he barely even registered when Usopp left, and kicked himself for it when he did notice. </p><p>Usopp seemed pretty keen on avoiding him after that and he figured he must’ve freaked him out so he leaves it alone and goes back to the same routine he was following before.</p><p>(Nami, the witch, laughs at him when he tells her and pats him on his fucking cheek, saying you’ll get better at this one day y’know.)</p><p>Then the college years came. </p><p>Zoro and Nami became fast friends with Luffy who was friends with Usopp. And soon it was them four. Then five. And then nine.</p><p>Zoro doubted Usopp remembered him and he decided not to say anything lest he embarrass himself.</p><p>They always hung out with the group, until Punk Hazard where they had a few excursions by themselves. (Zoro couldn’t help but be a little bitter when their friend group finds themselves tagging along.) And a little after the gym. Usopp had made an offhand comment on how bulked Zoro was while using him for figure drawing practice one day. Zoro shrugged it off, saying it was nothing a few consistent trips to the gym couldn’t do for anybody and then somehow that became their thing too.</p><p>(Somewhere along there he remembered asking Usopp if he wanted to see his tattoos. Passing it off as maybe it could help him with art inspiration.And it was a ridiculous question because surely Usopp had seen him with a T-shirt before.</p><p>Nonetheless the other man reached out, running artist fingers over the tigers running down Zoro’s arm. He had been smiling, hard and bright and Zoro remembers thinking that he just really likes art. And if someone said that Zoro may have grinning like a fool, well, he also has a pretty healthy appreciation for art.)</p><p>Then Usopp had just gotten bigger one night and he thinks it might just be his imagination. Or maybe all of their progress was just especially apparent that day.</p><p>The blonde girl from their high school comes at some point and Zoro can’t help the way he bristles at the sight of her, but reels it back in because it’s none of his business and she looks distraught as hell. </p><p>Usopp and Kaya make up and he’s happy for Usopp, really he is. He just hopes she doesn’t hurt him again, but he doubts it. She seems like a good person. </p><p>Then an art exhibit opens up in town and he thinks about taking Usopp.</p><p>He thinks it’s a dumb idea and tells Nami, who smacks him and upside the head and informs him it’s one of his smarter ideas. Which he wants to take offense to, but he just doesn’t have the energy. </p><p>He asks Usopp, and gets turned down. Which is fair. He probably sprung it on him really suddenly. Usopp probably didn’t need that on top of school. He had been looking a lot more tired lately.</p><p>Zoro then avoids Usopp to give him some space. It sucks like hell, but he figured Usopp would approach him when he’s ready. </p><p>And that he does. He looks like he’s gonna fall apart from standing but he asks him and of course Zoro says yes.</p><p>Then he’s up all night.</p><p>Nervous because he has a shirt out and ironed that Nami insisted he wear tomorrow. Nervous because it’s a Very Nice Shirt and Zoro does not wear Very Nice Shirts. Nervous because he might fuck up tomorrow and he really, really, does not want to fuck it up. </p><p>So he’s up all night. He goes to class on an adrenaline rush of nerves, and is ready to pass out by the time he’s ready to go to Usopp’s house.</p><p>Then five crooks decide they really really needed that purse and everything inside from an old lady and her two grandkids. So of course he lets them get away before realizing he is too fucking tired to handle five guys-</p><p>And then suddenly Birdeater is standing in front of it. And he can barely comprehend it because he is bleeding out of one of his eyes and it hurts like a bitch and he suddenly flying through the city in the man’s arms. </p><p>They pass under a street light at some point and Zoro gets a real good look at his masked hero. And suddenly he’s even more confused because the painting on the helmet looks like Usopp’s work.</p><p>Either Usopp was good friends with Birdeater or he was Birdeater. And when he thought about it. Really thought about it. </p><p>Usopp being Birdeater added up. It really wasn’t a super big deal in the long run, Zoro just wanted to get one fucking date with the guy. </p><p>They were in the office, there was his whirlwind of friends and suddenly they’re back at his place by themselves.</p><p>Zoro is pleasantly surprised by the turn of events after that and well.</p><p>Here they are.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>It is the ninth week of school when Usopp finds himself out in the school gardens under a tree with his boyfriend.</p><p>(And god didn’t that feel great to admit. Boyfriend. Boyfriend. Boyfriend!)</p><p>Zoro has his bandage off and he now has a vertical scar that cuts down his eyebrow down into his cheek. His left eye looks a bit more washed out in color than his right because he lost a bit of vision there. It was a weird adjustment for Zoro but he takes it in stride. No one ever hears him complain a word about it.</p><p>Nami did make a comment at some point that it would’ve fit his high school persona a lot to have that bad boy of a scar, to which Zoro scoffed and said nothing. Which prompted Brook to ask what exactly was their history anyway, because the rest of them had met at college. She and Zoro both waved off inquiries of their past with vague answers of it being way too metal for any of them to understand.</p><p>(Zoro later told him, a bit bashfully if the pink of his ears was anything to go by, was he and Nami dated for a while in high school before both of them realized they were gay as hell and better off as friends anyway.)</p><p>It’s not like they talked about much anyway, especially after noticing Usopp and Zoro with linked hands.</p><p>(And it’s a wonder how long it took for them to notice because it’s not like they had been trying to hide it.)</p><p>Usopp could laugh thinking about it. He almost does, where a soft chuckle from his lap prompts him to look down instead. </p><p>“What’s so funny?” He asks, because truly he doesn’t know.</p><p>Zoro opens his eyes and shifts a little from where he is laying on Usopp’s lap.</p><p>“Nothing much, just thinking about you missed a prime opportunity for a Spiderman kiss.”</p><p>And Usopp doesn’t know whether he should be embarrassed, laughing or falling in love just a little bit more.</p><p>So his cheeks burn red, and he lets out a small laugh as he leans over to meet Zoro’s lips.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is probably one of the most self-indulgent things I've ever done . Don't look at me. Also my first fanfiction in honest to god years, i hope someone out there likes this fkjennf</p></blockquote></div></div>
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